The present invention relates to patient transfer devices, and more particularly, patient transfer devices adapted to transport persons across uneven surfaces.
Patient transfer devices, including for example stair chairs, evacuation chairs and wheeled stretchers, are typically characterized apart from other devices by their ability to safely transport patients along uneven surfaces. For example, a stair chair typically includes a rearwardly-inclined rail assembly coupled to a seat assembly. In use, an operator guides the stair chair down a stairway while the rearwardly-inclined rail assembly supports the weight of the occupant, thereby providing the occupant with a controlled descent between multiple floors of a building.
Despite their widespread acceptance, patient transfer devices can become unstable or unbalanced in use, particularly for unfamiliar operators and/or larger occupants. Accordingly, there remains a continued need to improve the safety, control and reliability of patient transfer devices across a range of operators and occupants. In addition, there remains a continued need to provide improved systems and methods to leverage the benefits of existing and future patient transfer devices and to improve the control of patient transfer devices along a variety of surfaces.